Bottle-cap remover.



R. '0. BOARDMAN. BOTTLE CAP REMOVER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 2, 1912.

Patented June 23, 19%

Roer O'BOGJ'dIIZGIQ Grrmqa sent the disadvantage that a special machine the mouth of the bottle.

UNITED s'rarzas rarnn'r ormon.

RQBER'I 0. BOARDMEN, 0F RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR O'F FrHiALF TO .M'ARTIN H. JDTKSTRA, OF GRAZNTD RAPIDS, 'IIIUHIGEN.

SETTLE-CAP M12017 Upeoifioaltion of Lcttcrs'i'atent.

rate-comm e3, 1914.

Amplication filed. Decembcrl2, 191 2. :Sefia1No..734,566.

To all whomit mag concern Be it known that 1, ROBERT O. BonRnMAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Cap Removers, of which the following is aspec1- fication.

This invention relates to bottle closures. and .more particularly to a dev'ice for removing the cap closures from beer bottles, and the like. As is well-known. such cap 010- sures are ordinarily removed-bythe-use-of-a-n implement entirely separate and distinct from the cap. Such opening devices are liable to be lost and mis-placed, and even, when at hand must be applied to the cap prior to manipulation .to pry the cap from It has been proposed to provide, as a substitute for such opening devices, a cap having an integral; tongue designed to be grasped by the fingers; and pulled to remove the cap, or to provide a' cap constructed in sections, arranged to be V separated to such an extent as to permit of removal of the cap without the use of the ordinary opener. Suchcaps, however, prois necessary for their manufacture and usually they are not so constructed as to permit of the use of the ordinary capping ma- .chine. Furthermore, they are expensive to manufacture and can usually only be mar; nipulated by a person capable of exerting a l strong grip.

In connection with the foregoing it is the 1 object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap opener so constructed that it may be readily assembled with the ordinary bottle cap at the time of placing the latter upon the bottle to be sealed, and may be readily and quickly manipulated by anyone for the purpose of prying oil the cap.

It is a further aim of the invention to so construct the opening device that it may be manipulated without liability of cutting or bruising ones hands and without liability of chipping the mouth of the bottle.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the device embodying the present invention applied to an ordinary beer bottle and assembled with the=cap closure-thereof. Fig. Q'is a perspective view of the open-ingdevice removed from .the .bottle and cap. Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the manner in which the devicelis to be manipulated in prying oil the cap.

Correspondingend like parts are referred to in the iollowing description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the neck of a bottle of that type usually employed in dispensing beer or various beverages, and 2 indicates an ordinary crown cap which constitutes theclosure for the mouth of the bottle. As usual, the neck of the bottle is formed at its upper end "with a circumscribing head 8 with which the rim of the cap-closure is to have locking engagement and the neck is further provided with a circumscribing bead 41 located a suitable distance below the head 3 and huvinga relatively narrow flat upper surface 5. While the cap 2 is here shownas-of the well-known crown type, it will be understood that it may be of any other type so long as it is provided with a locking flange such as the flange '6, or is provided with a portion which projects a slight distance beyond the surface of the neck to form a shoulder or abutment for the opening device. The device embodying the present invention consists, in a broad sense, of an annular series of connected V-shaped fingers and is preferably formed from a single piece of material and is of a diameter to fit about the neck of a bottle between the cap 2 and bead 4. In the drawing the fingers are indicated by the numeral 7 and as stated are V-shaped, or more specifically speaking, each includes upwardly and downwardly projecting portions indicated respectively by the numerals 8 and 9, these portions extending at an obtuse angle to each other. The member includes integral connecting portions 10 which extend between their portions 8 and 9. As stated, thedevice as a whole, is of annular form, and it will be observed that the portions '8 of the entire series of fingers project upward] and inwardly toward the axis of the evice whereas the fingers '9 roject down'wardl' and inwardly toward't e said axis Bot portions of the fingers are approximately the same length and for the purpose. of ;reinforcement they are preferably of greater.- width at and adjacent their line of juncture with each. other than at their ends, they heends.

of the portions 9 of the fingers resting'upon the shoulder afforded by the-flat upper side 5 of the rib 4. i The cap-closure Qmay then be applied in'theusual manner and the projecting lower edge portion o'f'its' rim. will extend over and enga with the upper ends of the portions Soft e fingers in a manner clearly shown inFig. 3 of the drawing.

It Will be apparent. that the device will be securely held as against accidental displacement and that between the ends of its lfingers, it is spaced from the outersurface of the bottle neck.

Pening with q pp a antata" above described device, the bottle'isj ;dis-

posed with the intermediate portion of one or more of its fingers 7 contacting with the edge of a table or bar, and lateral pressure is exerted which will, of course, result in a tendency of the fingers to flatten out against the side of the bottle neck. In doing this,

however, they exert upward pressure against the rim of the cap 2 and thecap is pried from its engagement with the head 3.

It is to be understood, of course, that the device will be manufactured from sheetmetal suificiently stout to prevent collapse,

From the foregoing it will be apparent" that the cap-removing device embodying the present invention is simple in construction, may be readily and cheaply manufactured, may be applied to any ordinary beer or like bottle, and is arranged to act in conjunction with any ordinary ca closure which requires to be pried from t e mouth of the bottle to which it is applied.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. As a new article of manufacture, a

closure and comprisin .its upper end at its lower end against an abutment upon theneck' of the bottle.

ing continuously taperedtoward their u'ipon then'eckof; a bottle havin bottle-cap remover adapted to'be assembled upon; the neck of a bottle having a cap a bulged body adapted to bear beneat the cap closure and against an abutment upon the neck.

2. As a new article of manufacture a bottlescap remover adapted to be assembled upon the neck of a'bottle havinga cap closure and comprising an annular. body outwardly bul ed and adapted to engage at neath the said closure and .3. As a new article of manufacture, a

a A bottle-cap remover adapted to be assembled .In applying the device the Same is dis posednpon the bottleneck surrounding'the said neck and with the*lowe 1'--forffree ends a cap osurefl and comprising an annu ar out- "wardly bulged body havin an interdigi- 't'ate'd cap-engaging end, t e body being adapted to beer at its other end against an abutment upon the said neck of the bottle.

4, As anew article of manufacture, a bottle-cap remover adapted tobe assembled upon the'neckof-abottle having a cap closure and comprisi abody having a'flexible finger provided with oppositely angularly extending portions, one of the portions beingfadapted to engage beneath the cap closure and the'other against an abutment upon the neckjof the bottle.

"-'5,.-As a new article of manufacture a bottle-cap remover adapted to be assembled "upon the neck of a bottlehaving a cap closure and comprisin a body having a flexible finger provided with oppositely extending portions, the body at the juncture of the the juncture of the said portions being outwardly bulged.

7. A bottle cap-rcmover, com rising an annular series of connected flexi le fingers having portions extending upwardly and inwgrdly and arranged to engage against the rim of the cap and having portions projecting downwardly and inwardly and arranged to engage against an abutment upon the bottle.

8. A' bottle-cap-remover, comprising an annular series of connected flexible fingers having portions extending upwardly and inwardly and arranged to engage against the rim of the cap and having portions projecting downwardly and inwardly and arranged to engage against an abutment upon the bottle, the fingers at the points of when pressed inwardly to disengage the juncture of their said portions being outclosure from the mouth of the bott e.

wardly bulged. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 9. A device of the class described comin presence of two witnesses.

5 prising a cap closure and a remover there- ROBERT 0. BOARDMAN. [1 3.]

for consisting of a bulged body extending Witnesses: from the closure and adapted to engage a RAY O. DENNIsoN,

shoulder upon the neck of a bottle, and HERMAN W. VERSEPUT. 

